How Can I Last?
by Skylar Ania Dahlberg
Summary: (I'm not good with descriptions) Five Nights at Freddy's, Mike, Jeremy, a new character; what could go wrong? Oh wait, this is a FNAF fan fiction, something's going to go wrong.
1. 1 Off to Work

I groan as someone pulls me out of bed and down the stairs. I'm thrown onto the couch, but I don't move. The all-too familiar tinkling of a music box causes my eyes to snap open and I sit up, being faced with nothing but utter darkness.

"M-Mike," I whisper into the darkness, hoping to get an answer.

"Yes," I glance over my shoulder. I shriek when I see the animatronic head of Freddy Fazbear behind me. I fall to the floor and land on my back, glaring at the ceiling as the lights flicker on and my brother begins to laugh like a mad man.

"Very funny, Mike," I groan, "Now, help me up," I stretch out my hand to Mike as he removes the mask and he grasps it. I smirk and pull him onto the floor with me. He thuds next to me as I begin to giggle and I turn my attention to the clock, 11:37 AM. Well, I slept in late. I stand up and enter my office, still in my tank top and sweat pants. I log onto YouTube and pull up Five Nights at Freddy's in another window, which Scott Cawthon based off of my brother's place of work. I press F6 and start my recording.

"Hey, what's up guys? Cassidy Schmidt here and I'm playing Five Nights at Freddy's," I say into my microphone and Mike waltzes into my office, taking a seat next to me, "with my brother Mike since he has nothing better to do. Now, this has been requested so many times by you guys that I had to do it eventually. So, what do you say Mike? You're pretty experienced with this sort of thing." I turn to my brother.

"Let's do this," I nod and click on New Game.

{time lapse}

"Alright," I gasp, "night five. We've gotten this far without dying."

"That's because I'm such a pro at this," Mike brags.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up. I want to listen to the call this time." I watch as the screen turns from black with the message "12 AM Night 5" on it to the office. The phone rings and I pretend to pick it up by using my hand to act as a phone. I'm met with a demonic voice that I instantly knew was Golden Freddy; Mike told me all about him, and how his voice sounds. I shudder as Golden Freddy continues to talk and constantly check the cameras and halls. Mike puts an arm around my shoulder, sensing my stress, and pulls me close to him.

"All you need to do is try to keep an eye on Freddy," Mike explains, "He's the one you want to watch out for." I nod and analyze each camera as I flip between them. I look at the Show Stage to see Freddy gone. I frantically flip through the cameras, freezing in fear as I land on the East Hall, where Freddy is staring right into the camera. I jump back a bit when I see him, but my hands are still hovering over the mouse and keyboard. I shake my head lightly and put the screen down only to be met with a jump scare from Freddy, his eyes nothing but black holes with white dots in the middle. I shriek and hide my face in Mike's chest. I groan in annoyance, my voice muffled. Mike chuckles and rubs my back.

"Well, that's all folks," My brother says, shutting off my recording. He glances at the clock and turns to me. I look up at him.

"Bye Cassidy," My brother kisses my forehead, "I'm off to work my shift." I glance at the clock, 5:30 PM.

"Alright, Mike," I hug him back; "I'll pick you up at midnight! Don't let the animatronics get to ya!" I hear the door slam and the car start and pull out of the driveway; I'm alone. I go back to YouTube and edit the video, posting it afterwards and going to Smike's channel to watch a few theory videos. Of course, I already knew almost everything about the game thanks to my brother, since the animatronics told him a few things about the mysteries of the pizzeria. But it was still fun to see what other people came up with.

I glance over at the clock, 11:42 PM. I jump up from my chair and slip on my hunting boots and hoodie. I snatch my keys from the desk and my phone rings as I lunge for it.

"Hello?" I answer the phone.

"Hey Cassidy," It's Jeremy!

"Oh, hey Jeremy, I'm just about to go and pick up Mike…"

"I figured that," A car horn honks outside and I sprint to the window to see Jeremey's car in front of the house, "Want a ride?"

I smile, "Sure, just give me a second." I run from the window to the front door, throwing it open and darting across the lawn to Jeremy's car. I hang up the call and climb into the car. I shut the door and put on the seat belt.

"Thanks Jeremy," I say and turn to smile at him, "You're a life saver." He smiles and puts the car in drive as I lean back in my seat. I close my eyes, letting the subtle rocking of the car help me drift off to sleep. I'm quickly interrupted by Jeremy slamming on the breaks. My eyes snap open and I grip the handle that's next to the windshield. I turn to Jeremy, breathing heavily.

"Jeremy," I gasp, "what the hell?"

"I-I'm sorry," He stutters, "there was s-something running a-across the r-road. I-It came out of n-nowhere." I nod and lean back in my seat again, sighing.

"As long as you're alright…" My voice trails off and the car starts to move again. Jeremy turns the corner and pulls into the parking lot of the pizzeria. He turns off the engine and climbs out of the car. I follow suit and stand frozen for a few seconds, just staring at the building. Jeremy waves a shaky hand in front of my face and I turn to him, seeing a worried and nervous expression on his face.

"I'm okay," I reassure him, "Let's just get Mike." I walk ahead of him and hear him muttering behind me.


	2. 2 I Want to Understand

I reach the doors and take a shaky breath before throwing them open. The animatronics were always in random positions, but once I entered, they greeted me like a friend. It happens every time I go to pick up Mike, it's strange… I step inside to find the show stage deserted, as well as Pirate's Cove. The tables aren't surrounded by Chica or Bonnie; okay, now I'm worried. I turn and trudge down the east hall.

"Why don't you finish the job, 'captain'?" Mike yells from his office, "Why didn't you? Well, come on then! Finish the f**king job, then!" I sprint down the hall, stopping in the doorway, seeing as it _is_ open. I find Freddy standing a few feet from the door and he spots me, gesturing me to come inside. I follow command and stand in silence as we watch Mike continue to yell at Foxy, thrashing his hat around in his right hand.

"You ruined my life! I trusted you and you almost killed me! What did I do to get this?! I'm f**ked up in the head because of you," I took a few steps towards my brother, seeing his eyes completely black with nothing but white dots to act as pupils, and place a hand on his shoulder, "You could've ended me, but no, you let me _suffer_!" Mike lets his hand fall to his side as he lets a few tears roll down his cheeks. I glance up at Foxy, seeing his expression and knowing that he feels guilty. Mike was, after all, the victim of the bite of '87, which Foxy caused. I should know; I was there…

"I was your best friend," Mike continues, his voice cracking, "You were my hero. I trusted you."

"Mike," Foxy responds in his metallic voice, his accent making him live up to his name, "I'm really sorry… I truly am. I didn't mean to –." I look back to Mike, seeing him baring his teeth in anger and tossing his cap back on.

"'Sorry'," Mike cut him off in an irritated voice, "doesn't undo what happened!"

"Lad," Foxy shyly cut back in, "I… That's true. -But please understand that-."

"Understand what?!"("Mike!" I yell, but he ignores me.) "There's nothing for me to understand other than you purposely f**king me up!"

"M-Mike, no… I- please just let me-." Foxy suddenly straightens up from his hunched position, his lit up eyes fading into darkness.

"M-Mike…" I say uneasily and my brother turns to me, irritated.

"What?!" He yells and I shrink back, pointing at Foxy, who returns to a more menacing hunched-over position.

"I want to finish the job…" Foxy says, lengthening out his words. He lunges for Mike, but I push Mike out of the way and Foxy tackles me. Thinking I was my brother, Foxy bites down on my left arm and rips a chunk of my skin off. I shriek in pain and Bonnie pushes Foxy off of me, scratching my side with his hook as he thrashes in Bonnie's grasp. Chica rushes over and helps hold Foxy back, pinning him against the back wall. I clap a hand onto my wound and shiver in pain, Mike hastening to my side and helping me sit up. I lean against my brother and stare at Foxy, his eyes returning to normal and stops struggling against Bonnie and Chica's grips. Bonnie begins to yell inaudibly at Foxy, gesturing to me and Mike every so often. Chica stands in front of him, holding him back from harming Foxy, but Foxy's eyes flicker back to the darkness with nothing but white dots inside them.

"Snap out of it!" Chica shouts, "Freddy get them out of here!" Two large fur-covered arms pick me up bridal style and I look up to see Freddy, his concerned eyes trained on the three animatronics.

"It's going to get ugly, Mike, you need to get out." He pushes Mike out into the hall with his foot while Mike protests against it.

"NO!" My brother cries, "I don't… I don't understand! Why are you helping us? You're one of them! Why aren't you killing both me and my sister right now when you have the chance?! You stupid robots are unpredictable! One moment you're okay, but the next you're at my throat!" Mike stops moving and faces Freddy, standing firm.

"What's going on, Freddy?" Mike exclaims, his voice becoming softer, "Why are you doing this? Why are the others doing this? I… I want to understand… please…" I struggle to keep my eyes open as my brother rants on and on, but finally give in and let my head lean against Freddy's chest, my eyes shutting. My brain is still wide awake, but I can't build enough strength to open my eyes.

"Okay," Freddy's metallic voice rings through the air, "I'll tell you everything. I'm sure you've heard about the five missing children."

"I have," my brother responds, unsure of himself.

"Their souls were never at rest. They were… _are _angry. Their bodies were never properly buried."

"I heard about that, too."

"They were so angry that they vowed to themselves that every worker here must suffer the same way they did."

"Wait… stuffing us into suits…?"

"Yes..."

"Th-that means the children are- that explains the smell…"

"That's not all; the spirits had nowhere else to go."

"S-So…?"

"They came to us."

"What… possessed you?"

"Yes, we never wanted to hurt you or anyone. It's _them._ They don't want you to know…"

"But… then… how are you telling me this if they don't want you to? F-Freddy…?" Electricity crackles above me and I can only imagine what happened to Freddy. I feel myself being carefully slipped into the arms of my brother.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Schmidt," Freddy continues, sounding unchanged, "No. I'm sorry. I'm not going to hurt you or your sister. I'm… tired of being angry. _I'm sick of this._" I feel the sudden thud of Freddy's large hands landing on my brother's shoulders, forcing him down the hall, "But, Mr. Schmidt, just because I'm sorry, it doesn't mean _she_ is."

"She…?"

"Yes, the rest took what you said to heart… she didn't."

"I'm guessing _she_ is the one inside Foxy…. Wait," Mike suddenly stops walking, "If they possessed you… and there's four of you and five of them…. Where's the fifth one?" I force open my eyes to see my brother staring intently at Freddy. Freddy's eyes flicker from Mike to me, then back.

"She's with you…"

"What?!" Clicking echoes at the end of the hall, closer to the entrance, and footsteps… My eyelids droop and I struggle to stay conscious, letting my head against my brother's chest.

"What's…?" Jeremy, "Oh my god… Cassidy… Mike, what-?"

"Jeremy," I knew it, "we need to leave, _now_."

"But… but my shift… and Freddy… Mike, what's-?"

"It doesn't matter right now."

"But… but, my shift-."

"Both of you," Freddy demands, "get out of here, _now!_" Foxy can be heard screaming alarmingly and I squeak in pain as Mike and Jeremy sprint back down the hall. The sound of footsteps, screaming, and yelling fades away as I fall farther and farther from consciousness… and it suddenly becomes silent. I'm going to die; I just know it.


	3. 3 Memories

_My eyes snap open. I'm not dead? I glance around, finding myself in the pizzeria during daylight hours. Strange, I'm usually here at night. _

_"__Mike, how many times do I have to say it?" A familiar childish voice says behind me and I spin around, seeing my-ten-year-old-self, "I don't think you look stupid! You look adorable!"_

_"__Yeah," Nine-year-old-Mike responds, "but what if the other kids make fun of me?"_

_"__They won't, I promise." This conversation… I remember it so well, and it kills me every night because it plagues my dreams. This is the Bite of '87. I don't want to see this again. Mike smiles and runs off to the table, leaving me, well, young Cassidy standing in the same place, smiling. A look of doubt masks my, uh, her usual bright smile, but she shakes it off._

_"__He'll be fine." She reassures, watching Mike as he tries to start conversations with the other kids. Cassidy, which I'm going to call her for now, trudges over to the party table, taking a seat across from Jeremy and his older sister and watching Mike, chatting with Jeremy and Nikki every once in a while. I remember doing that… Now that I think about it, I have an unusually low voice for a girl, even when I was little. I rip my gaze away from Cassidy, Nikki, and Jeremy and look at Mike, seeing him approach Pirate's Cove. I follow him; I know what'll happen next. I kneel next to Mike as he stops at a line of red tape and a sign reading, "Do Not Cross!" Foxy notices Mike and turns to him._

_"__Y-Y-Yar, Mikey, ye will always be me friend!" Foxy greets his voice box glitching a bit. My family used to come here every weekend… until this day._

_"__Ye come to Foxy, and ye be brave for not being scared of- scared of ol' Foxy!" It was true; Foxy was always Mike's favorite._

_"__Why would I be scared of you, Foxy?" Mike asks while smiling up at the animatronic, "You're my hero!" Foxy's eyepatch flips up as he gives Mike a confused look._

_"__H-Hero…?"_

_"__Yeah, you're a brave and strong pirate! I want to be brave and strong when I grow up, too!"_

_"__Ye are a brave lil' pirate, Mikey!" Foxy compliments and Mike crosses the tape, setting off an alarm._

_"__Really?"_

_"__Ar, I'd hire ye to be on me hearty crew!"_

_"__Kid!" The day guard shouts behind me._

_"__What do ye say, Mikey?" Foxy continues, kneeling down as Mike continues to approach him. I watch helplessly from the sidelines as the day guard starts to run over to Pirate's Cove._

_"__You're not supposed to be that close to Foxy!" The day guard shouts again. Cassidy, confused by what was happening, turns her attention to Pirate's Cove, her eyes widening as she screams her brother name. Nikki and Jeremy look over to Pirate's Cove as well, terrified looks on their faces. Foxy's eyes glow a deadly yellow and I close my eyes, tears pricking my eyes as I remember what happens._

_"__MIKE!"_

_"__F-Foxy…?" My brother's innocent voice whimpers. I drop to my knees upon hearing the ripping of flesh._

_"__MIKE, NO!" I force my eyes open to see Cassidy kneeling by her brother, who's nothing but a bloody mess, and crying. Nikki and Jeremy shakily step over to Cassidy and kneel next to her. Nikki pulls her into a hug while Jeremy clings onto his sister, all three crying. Foxy, whose eyes have returned to normal, backs up a few steps, realizing what he's done. Cassidy looks at him, hurt… but not angry. At the time, I knew he didn't mean to hurt Mike. And this time, I know he didn't mean to hurt me. Foxy, seeing Cassidy's expression, dives back into Pirate's Cove… and I follow him. He probably can't see me, but I don't care; I don't know what happened to Foxy after… well, what just happened. I slip through the curtains of the Cove and spot Foxy sitting on one of the boxes in the back, head in hands… well, paw and hook. Feeling mass amounts of sympathy, I sit next to him and try to hug him. Surprisingly, it works, but it leaves Foxy unfazed._

_"__Foxy," I start, knowing he can't hear me, "I know you didn't mean to hurt Mike. I know you didn't mean to hurt me. I know it wasn't your fault." To my surprise, his head lifts up and he looks at me dead in the eyes, stunned._

_"__Lass, might ye be Cassidy?" He asks and I nod. "What ye be doin' 'ere… and how do ye know it ain't me fault?" I smile weakly._

_"__Freddy told me about the spirits. It wasn't your fault. She made you do it." His eyes widen._

_"__Freddy t-told ye 'bout 'em?" I nod, "But how can ye be 'ere? Unless…"_

_"__I don't know, Foxy," I lie, "I just want you to know, if anything like this happens again, it's not your fault, okay?" He nods hesitantly._

_"__But, again I ask, how ye be 'ere?"_

_"__I-I'd rather not say," I stare at his eyes, a hint of knowing in them, and he hangs his head._

_"'__Twas me, wasn't it?"_

_"__Y-Yeah…"_

_"__Cass, I be sorry."_

_"__It wasn't you, though. Sure, it appeared to be you when I was attacked, but you weren't in control… do you get what I'm saying?" He nods, refusing to make eye contact with me._

_"__Foxy, look," I continue, "I love you. And so does Mike." He perks up._

_"__He be alive?" I nod._

_"__He's fine, but that's not my point. The thing is he still loves you. And I do, too. Mike-."_

_"__How'd ol' Foxy hurt ye?" I pause._

_"__You… really want to know?" He nods. I sigh._

_"__Alright, well, I was going to pick up Mike from his job at the pizzeria –."_

_"__He works here, now?"_

_"__Well…" I sigh, "Yes, he took the night shift. As I was walking into the pizzeria to pick him up, I heard shouting come from the office. It was Mike. And he was yelling at… he was yelling at you."_

_"__What might the lad be yellin' at me for?"_

_"__I don't know how it came up, but it was… well, what happened out there a few moments ago." I gesture to the front of Pirate's Cove. "Everyone who knows about it calls it the Bite of '87. Mike was yelling at you because he thought you screwed up his life by doing that. He wouldn't even let you defend yourself. You know, verbally. But I came in, watching the fight, and tried to calm Mike down. He snapped at me and you… well, __she__ took over… and you lunged at Mike. I pushed him out of the way, but you got me, instead, by the arm. As Freddy carried me out of the office, he explained to Mike about the dead children. I was handed over to Mike and Jeremy came in, since he drove me, and they ran out with me in Mike's arms. Then… then I blacked out." I sigh as I finish._

_"__Lass," Foxy mutters, gaining my attention, "I-I can't believe that ol' Foxy would do something like that."_

_"__It wasn't you. I keep telling you; it was her." Foxy nods. "Just remember; we still love you." Everything around me starts to fade into darkness._

I groan to life (Oh my god I'm not dead!) and my eyes flutter open. I immediately recognize the room I'm in. The familiar beeping of the heart monitor, the soft surface of the blanket; I'm in the hospital… Well, duh, I nearly died so where else?

"Hey," a feminine voice greets to my left and I force my head to look at the person. I immediately faced with a small girl that resembled Jeremy in many ways whom I have met before. Her light golden hair tumbling off her shoulders and ending at the tips of her shoulder blades made me smile. The glare on her square glasses and grey-green eyes, as well as her jeans and light pink tank top covered by a black hoodie, brought back memories of our childhood together… and of '87. She was there with me. I flinch away at receiving these memories and Nicole Fitzgerald kneels by my bedside.

"Hey Nikki," I reply, my voice cracking thanks to my dry throat, and she smirks, "where's Mike?" She jerks her thumb at the door and I push myself into a sitting position. I stare at the door for a moment before I realize that Mike is yelling at someone, his voice cracking occasionally. The yelling stops and breaks into sobs. The urge to comfort my brother is overwhelming, but a shooting pain in my left arm forces me to stay put. The cries suddenly fade away and the door slowly creaks as it opens. Jeremy leans his head in the room and sighs in relief, turning to look over his shoulder and mutter something. The door flies open and Mike throws himself inside the room, startling both me and Nikki and causing Jeremy to fall over from surprise. Nikki rushes over to her younger brother and pulls him back onto his feet while Mike kneels by my bedside and grabs my hand. I can see the tears streaked on his face, which are still flooding his vision; I can tell. I know that look because I've seen it so many times before. I smile back and sigh.

"I-I…" Mike whispers, "I didn't know what to think. You wouldn't wake up and… it's been two days-."

"I was out for two days?!" I exclaim, startling Jeremy and Nikki, and Mike nods, "Well, then…"


	4. 4 Meeting Up Again

I sit at my computer, scrolling through the recommended videos on YouTube. I had been released from the hospital a few days ago, but with a thick woolen bandage around my arm which prevented me from playing due to it being a bit bulky for comfort. But just because I can't record game-plays doesn't mean I can't record vlogs with Mike, Nikki, and Jeremy, who refuses to be in most of my videos. He's camera shy, I get it. But I think his job scares him more than being on camera. I call Mike and wait, spinning slowly in my swivel chair as he runs in.

"Hey Mike! I was just about to pull up the lyrics for the song. Do you want to rehearse one more time before recording?" He nods and leans on the back of my chair after I turn back to the computer and begin the song, letting Mike practice his part of both acting and singing while I do the same with mine.

A few minutes pass and I grab the night guard uniforms I have for myself, tossing Mike's Freddy costume to him. I turn off the lights in my office, the only way I can see being the illumination from my computer. Mike's bear-like silhouette adds to the creepy feeling hanging in the air and he leans against the chair again.

"You ready?" He asks and I nod, mentally face-palming when I realize he probably couldn't see my gesture.

"Ready as I'll ever be." I state, placing myself back in my chair and adjusting my face-cam on the top of my computer monitor. I start recording to make sure it's at a good angle. I adjust my hat and return to YouTube, shivering slightly as I let the cursor hover over the play button on the video. The bear paw on Mike's costume falls onto my shoulder and I flinch, gasping silently.

"Cassidy, are you sure you want to do this? You don't seem too… stable."

"It's called acting, dear brother of mine." I lie with false confidence, shooting him a fake smile. To be honest, I've been a bit shaken up lately because of the whole Foxy-attack thing. Freddy, since then, has been kind of a… comforting figure to me.

"You know we could do this at the pizzeria." Mike informs, making me freeze before I can press play on the video. I turn to look at him.

"You're a genius." I shoot out of my chair, grabbing all of my recording equipment and shoving it carefully into a duffel bag.

"Cass, I was kidding, but," He takes off the Freddy head and scratches the back of his neck, glancing at the clock, "I do have to leave for work in a few minutes." I drop to my knees in front of him, grabbing his forearms.

"Please! Please, please, please!" I whine. Mike gives in, unable to turn down his adorable sister. He rolls his eyes and laughs slightly, kneeling down and picking me up bridal style, carrying me out to the car. "Okay, that was unnecessary, Mike." He shrugs as he places me in the passenger seat of his car, stepping around to the driver's side himself. He buckles himself in his seat and looks at me, his eyes flickering from the usual chocolate brown to the white lights in nothing but a dark abyss as they trail down to my bandaged arm. I can practically see the rage steaming off of him.

"Hey," I say soothingly, grabbing his hand and his eyes lock with mine, "it was an accident. You know he didn't mean it." He smiles and kisses my forehead, sitting back in his seat and starting the truck. I sit back myself and ponder something. "How have you been treating Foxy since… you know…?" Mike stiffens and stares at the road as the car smoothly makes its way down the road. My smile fades; I know exactly what's going through his head. ( /watch?v=XDRdS5lYLXw)

"I…" Mike starts, "haven't really talked to him…"

"That's what I thought…" I trail off, turning my attention to the window. As my eyes wander the street we're on, I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. "Mike, why are we in Jeremy's neighborhood?" I sit up straight, still staring at the numerous houses as we pass them.

"Jeremy actually wanted to help me with my shift. Don't know why, though." I can tell that's a lie. I turn back to him, my eyes flickering to the clock in the car.

"You don't have to leave for work for two hours…" I sigh, a small smile replacing my subtle frown. Mike pulls the car into Jeremy's driveway and Nikki runs out the front door toward the car. I laugh, turning to Mike. "What did you do?" I open the car door and instantly regret it; as soon as the door is open, Nikki practically crash tackles me, throwing her arms around my neck and crying into my shoulder. Laughing, I begin to stroke her hair in an attempt to calm her down.

"Don't do that to us, Cassidy!" Nikki's muffled voice scolds me as she clings to my shirt. "It's been a week since I saw you, and that was back at the hospital!" I rub circles on her back, trying to calm her down.

"Mike put me under house arrest, so if you want to blame anyone, blame him." I look back at Mike, seeing him blush lightly and smile awkwardly at me. Nikki pulls back, revealing her tear streaked face and I place a hand on her cheek, resting my forehead against hers. "I'm fine, Nikki."

Mike coughs behind us, slipping in a subtle, "shipping" and I turn to glare at him.

"Shut up, _Mikey_."

Mike's cheeks burn red as he stutters, "D-Don't call me that." I smirk at him, knowing he hates my, as well as Foxy's, nickname for him. Nikki stands, pulling me out of the car and smiling, still trying to hold back a few tears. She hugs me again, wrapping her arms around my neck, and Mike laughs. I turn to him and gesture for him to go inside. He only takes a few steps before Nikki pulls back and grabs my hand, dragging me inside. Mike follows suit, laughing lightly, but his smile fades as he spots Jeremy sitting on the couch, hanging his head and staring at his hands. Watching awkwardly from the sidelines, Nikki and I waltz into the dining room that connects to the family room and the foyer, both of us sitting in chairs at the table.

Mike slowly sits beside Jeremy, who doesn't look up, and calls his name quietly, "Jeremy?" Jeremy doesn't move. Mike throws his arms around him and I turn to Nikki.

"And he says we're an OTP." I whisper, inaudible to Mike and Jeremy. Nikki chuckles softly, turning her attention back to our brothers. We watch as Jeremy still doesn't move, even with Mike's arms around him.

"Jeremy, you okay buddy?" Mike asks softly, his eyes flickering to Nikki and me and back. I exchange a worried glance with Nikki and Jeremy slowly slips out of Mike's grip, standing and walks out of the room without a word. A door slams a few moments later. Out of instinct, I immediately stand and begin walking toward the stairs until Nikki grabs my arm.

"He's been like this for days." She states and I glance at Mike. A nagging feeling in my mind and chest yell at me to follow him and I continue walking upstairs, Nikki letting go of my arm as I reach the stairwell. I shakily climb up the stairs and stop in front of Jeremy's door, lifting my hand clenched into a fist to knock. But I hesitate. Instead, I slowly open the unlocked door and step inside, spotting Jeremy lying on his bed with tears streaming down his face as he stares out the window, hugging his knees. Without shutting the door, I step over to his bed and sit beside him out of his visionary range.

"M-Mike…" He mutters, thinking I'm my brother, "… c-can you just leave me a-alone right now… please?" I unconsciously grab Jeremy's hand, compassion taking over me, and make him sit up and rest his head on my shoulder. I wrap my arms around him and rest my head on top of his.

"Mike, please…"

"Just tell me what's wrong." I ask/demand with my voice soft and more similar to Mike's than usual. Jeremy sighs, pulling himself onto my lap and cuddling into my chest.

"I-I miss Cassidy…" He replies, sounding choked, and I rub his arm, swaying back and forth lightly with him.

"She's okay, Jeremy. In fact," I put a finger under his chin, making him look up at me, "she missed you too." Jeremy's eyes widen as they land on me and he sits up straight so that he's eye-level with me. I watch as his eyes fill with tears and a small smile grows on his face and rest my forehead against his. Jeremy lets the tears stream down his face, laughing lightly, and I continue to rub circles on his back, smiling uncontrollably. I place my other hand on his cheek, rubbing it with my thumb, as I continue to sway back and forth with Jeremy. He smiles softly at me, eyes still full of tears, and wraps his arms around my neck, burying his face in my shoulder.

"I-If you were here," Jeremy mutters, shaking slightly, "why didn't you say something?"

"I didn't want to ruin the moment you were having with Mike." I answer, burying my nose in his hair, still swaying slightly.

"Actually," Mike's voice calls from behind us, causing me to look over my shoulder at him and Jeremy to lift his head up a bit, "I think this is my new favorite OTP." He crosses his arms, smiling softly at us, and Nikki appears at his side… with a camera. I laugh lightly, turning away from them and once again burying my nose in Jeremy's hair. I feel Jeremy's face heat up on my shoulder and smile as he hides his face in my shoulder again.

"Shut up, Mike; you're ruining the shipping moment." Realizing what I just said, I slap a hand over my mouth and blush furiously. Mike laughs behind me along with Nikki. "Like I said, ruining the moment. Shoo, mere mortals!" Jeremy laughs lightly into my shoulder and I look over my shoulder in time to see Nikki and Mike leaving and shutting the door.

"I expect a niece or nephew when I get back!" Mike yells through the door, making both me and Jeremy blush even more, if that was possible.

"Shut the hell up, Mikey!" I yell back, trying to act unfazed by his comment. Mike laughs loudly, soon joined by Nikki. Jeremy and I both laugh lightly and he lifts his head up to look at me. He smiles softly at me and nuzzles into my neck.

"I-I feel like it should be the other way around." He states and I look down at him, a bit confused.

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is I feel like you should be the one sitting on my lap, nuzzling into my neck."

"That's just stereotypical bullshit." I rub his back, still swaying with him, and kiss the top of his head.


End file.
